Note About the Main Points of a Statement by the Acting Ambassador of the USSR Embassy in the GDR, Comrade Gorinovich, to the GDR Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Comrade Oskar Fischer

Berlin, 3 January 1972

Information

Highly Confidential

Note

About the Main Points of a Statement by the Acting Ambassador of the USSR Embassy

in the GDR, Comrade Gorinovich, to the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Comrade Oskar Fischer, on 3 January 1972

1. The source of events on the Indian subcontinent is rooted in Pakistan’s positions, especially in its disregard for the rights of the people of the former East Pakistan.

2. The Soviet Union has warned Pakistan repeatedly to refrain from military adventures and emphasized the non-redressable consequences stemming from such an adventurous policy. At the same time, the Soviet Union undertook respective steps in the United Nations and the Security Council.

3. The United States, the People’s Republic of China, and other states blocked the steps proposed by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of Poland in the Security Council in order to avoid conflict.

4. The Soviet Union was in constant contact with the Indian government (as we know, Comrade Kusnezov, the First Deputy Foreign Minister stayed in Delhi). At the same time an Indian representative (Darr—phonetically) was based in Moscow. It must be stated that the Indian side accordingly behaved in a measured way.

5. The Soviet Union used its contacts with the United States to make the latter intervene with the adventurous circles. In Soviet opinion, the United States ought to exert influence on the Pakistanis to restore the peace.

The course of events demonstrated that the US has returned to more realistic positions in light of the firm attitude shown by the Soviet Union and India. Still, further complications must not be excluded. Such complications could arise by new maneuvers from the United States or the People’s Republic of China, in particular, since the sources of conflicts on the Indian subcontinent have not been eliminated yet.

Still, we can now say that a good start has been made.

6. Moscow is of the opinion that all the true friends of the peoples on the Indian subcontinent have to be very vigilant. They ought to eliminate all sources of conflict and contribute towards a normalization of life.

7. The situation in the western section of the Pakistani-Indian border has to unfold according to the United Nations resolution [307] of 21 December 1971. Though this resolution contains the known deficits, the United States and the People’s Republic of China were deprived of options to become active in the sense of their interests. Military actions in East Bengal have created the conditions to structure everything according to the will of the people.

8. The course of events serves as confirmation that Soviet and Polish proposals in the Security Council were real. The cessation of military action and measures taken for a peaceful resolution of existing problems are organically linked.

The East Bengal people have issued their statement and did not wait for the United Nations. The new state of Bangladesh has already become a reality. It is noteworthy how even those who came out against the Soviet and Polish proposals are meanwhile recognizing this new reality (new state of Bangladesh).

The new state of Bangladesh is in the early state of its existence; yet it has already become evident that the policy of the United States and the People’s Republic of China has suffered a grave defeat.

9. A recognition of the new state of Bangladesh is currently reviewed in Moscow in a thorough and comprehensive manner. Information about the situation on the ground there is not yet sufficient.

The positive, as well as the negative impacts (internationally, as well as relations with Pakistan) are to be considered.

The USSR General Consulate in Dacca is tasked with establishing and cultivating contacts with the leading public figures of Bangladesh.

[…]

14. According to information held by Moscow, even in the United States and other countries, as well as within the United Nations, the past deficient positions of the latter are acknowledged. Still, Moscow deems it necessary to continue its information policy in a persistent manner, in particular in those states where the essence of the events is still unclear. The Soviet ambassadors have received according instructions. At the same time, Soviet diplomats will stay in close contacts with the ambassadors of the socialist states.

(An extensive transcript will be drafted later.)

[Signature]

Oskar Fischer

***